Rebecca Giese: Tips for Customizing Your Wedding on a Budget

TIPS FOR CUSTOMIZING YOUR

Wedding on a Budget

Planning a wedding is the strangest sensation, one minute super exciting, the next completely and utterly overwhelming. Where do you even start? How can you create the wedding of your dreams without an extreme budget or expensive wedding planner? I would know this first hand because I am just over three months away from my wedding as I write this, and going as custom as possible. But this isn't my first rodeo in the wedding planning market; as a watercolor artist, I have a wide range of custom wedding clients with the desire to create something uniquely them. And the desire to have your wedding day be custom shouldn't be left to the wealthy and elite; it is a moment you have spent years dreaming and scrolling Pinterest over; it should be everything you dreamed of and more. But how do you create unique features or little moments without breaking the budget? I have several tips to help you make your dream wedding while being creative with your budget.

Give yourself enough time!

That is the biggest advice I would give anyone. Don't wait until the last minute for anything, especially if you want custom elements. Artists and designers need at least a couple of weeks to turn around designs, and if you are looking for specialty envelopes or a custom wax seal stamp, it may take a couple of weeks to ship. Continually checking your to-do list and staying on top of the deadlines is the only way to enjoy the season without a mad rush at the end or having to compromise your vision due to procrastination. Also, ordering things early when there are coupons or avoiding rush shipping will save your budget.

Be creative.

Find a small business artisan, whether local (like myself) or on sites like Etsy, that can create custom designs for you without costing hundreds of dollars. Many of my clients gravitate towards watercolor stylings and request watercolor designs of their wedding florals. These designs are used from the Save the Date and invitations to water bottle labels! Reusing elements of the designs and the selected fonts help to create a high-end feeling event without the high-end cost. Connecting all the details also shows great finesse in the planning process. I had one client doing a mix of mid-century modern meets boho herb garden florals. We created an invitation that embodied her vision so people could tell the theme/ vibe of the wedding months beforehand. Another client was having a rustic backyard wedding on her family farmland, and her favorite flower was the magnolia. At the same time, her now-husband is a tobacco farmer, so we mixed magnolias with greenery and dried tobacco leaves; she used the art on almost everything from informational signage to her waterbottles.

Do it yourself projects.

Wedding season is the time to Do It Yourself! Create your seating chart or unplugged ceremony sign by painting on an old mirror or rustic window for your bar menu. Big box stores are convenient, but the custom aspect will make your event feel more designer while costing less. And bonus points if it is a piece you can use in your home after the wedding!

Keeping wedding favors practical will help you stay within budget and also allows you to personalize your special day. Dry-erase boards and chalkboards are inexpensive and easy to resell.

Buy decor that you can reuse or keeps resell value.

Wedding decor is expensive but once used; it is almost worthless. You are lucky to make $25 on a box lot of items on Facebook Marketplace. I suggest going to thrift stores, finding things that go with your interior design style instead. For instance, I love ginger jars and brass candlesticks; they are already all over my home, so we have been collecting even more for the wedding. After the wedding, I will keep the ones I love and quickly sell the others. Plus, thrifted and home decor pieces will help create that custom wedding feel.

Skip the wedding favors.

If you want to save money, I suggest enjoying other custom items like a cocktail napkin and skipping the generic favors; most people don't even pick them up. But they will pick up napkins throughout the evening. If you do choose to have a wedding favor, keep it practical and make it personal.

Skip the rules.

When it comes to themes, decor, and everything in between, do what is suitable for you and your future spouse; all the other stuff is just stuff, find what is important to you both, and enjoy the season!